Fourth parade, festival kicks off Saturday

Tuesday

Jun 30, 2009 at 11:30 PM

Mike Perry

RINCON - The city of Rincon will open its annual Fourth of July Parade and Festival at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The parade begins at Macomber Park and will head south on Lexington Avenue, west on Fourth Street, south on Ga. 21, east on Ninth Street and north on Richland Avenue before ending at Rincon Elementary School. A festival will follow at the school with craft and food booths, said event organizer Gussie Nease.

The parade and festival theme is "As American as Apple Pie and Baseball."

"This year of all years, with the economy in the tank and all, we need people to come out and have a good time and to wave the flags," Nease said. "We need to really remember what we are all about, and that is freedom."

Local veteran Ernest Hodges will serve as the person of honor in this year's parade.

Hodges served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and was a member of the Rincon City Council for 13 years. As a councilman, he was instrumental in the development of Macomber Park, Nease said.

We look for veterans to serve as persons of honor, she said. "And we felt like he was a very good fit."

Hodges, 74, said he was "shocked" when he found out he was chosen for the role.

"I didn't know that I was worthy of the honor," he said. "It is beyond words."

Hodges said it's important people come out to the Fourth of July event and show their patriotism.

"So many countries don't have the freedom and independence that we do," he said.